Despite better access to education, many adults today still can not read or write.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Despite better access to education, many adults today still can not read or write.

Adults Illiterate Access Education Disadvantages Government Help - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

In what ways are they disadvantaged? What can governments do to help them?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7 · 309 words.

While education has become more accessible globally, many adults remain unable to read or write. Illiteracy can have far-reaching consequences, affecting both individuals' employment prospects as well as their mental well-being. In order to address this issue, government could provide free educational facilities in public centers to help people to develop.

Illiteracy can significantly limit an individual's job opportunities, because without basic literacy skills, uneducated adults may struggle to find a well-paid job. As a result, they may be forced to work as a low-skilled employee and earn insufficient income. Financial strain can lead to a lower standard of life, as individuals may struggle to cover basic living needs. Over time, financial difficulties can negatively affect their health. Additionally, being unable to read or write can cause mental health issues as well. Simple communication activities like reading and answering to text messages can be difficult to do for illiterate people, and thus, they may have high levels of anxiety and struggle to socialize. Due to problems with socializing and anxiety, uneducated individuals can suffer from mental illnesses.

Governments have a crucial role in promoting literacy among adults. They could invest in building public centers, where basic lessons could be provided by professionals. For instance, building a public complex with complimentary reading classes would give access to people not only to learn, but also to socialize and broaden their minds. Moreover, government could implement a grading system, which would evaluate learners’ academic achievements, by which authorities could employ the succeeding students as teachers at the same center. This would give individuals a sufficient job, and also motivation for other learners.

In conclusion, despite the accessibility of education, many adults are still unable to read and write. While illiteracy can restrict job opportunities and harm mental health, the government could build public centers with complimentary educational facilities and help illiterate people.

Examiner feedback

The essay effectively addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing the consequences of adult illiteracy and providing logical government solutions. It maintains a clear, organized structure with a good range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, comfortably securing a Band 7.

Task Response - 7

- All parts of the prompt are addressed, discussing the consequences of adult illiteracy and suggesting government solutions. - A clear position is maintained throughout the essay with relevant main ideas that are extended and supported. - Some supporting points could be further refined, but the development is generally coherent and sufficient for the task.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing effects and solutions, and a conclusion. - Cohesive devices are used effectively, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical (e.g., 'As a result', 'Additionally', 'Moreover'). - Paragraphing is used appropriately with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central topic.

Lexical Resource - 7

- A sufficient range of vocabulary is used to discuss the topic with reasonable flexibility and precision. - Less common items such as 'financial strain', 'employment prospects', and 'complimentary reading classes' are attempted with some awareness of style. - Occasional awkward collocations appear, such as 'answering to text messages' instead of 'responding to text messages'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used throughout the essay with a good degree of control. - Minor errors occur, such as missing articles ('government could provide' instead of 'governments could provide') and slight awkwardness in phrasing ('give access to people not only to learn'). - Punctuation is generally accurate and does not impede communication.

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